Fire-alarm system.



No. 766,360. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. B. P. KBTGHAM.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. Arrmouron FILED AUG. 6. 1903.

No menu. 2 SHEEN-4111121 1.

Inventor Witnesses Attorney No. 766,360. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. B. P. KETOH'AM.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

Attorney Patented August 2, 190&.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- BENJAMIN P. KETGHAM, OF GARII'IAGIC, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter?- Patent Iv 0. 766,360, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed August 6, 1903.

To all] whom it nmg concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN P. K E'ICIIAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage. in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Alarm Systems; and 1 do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a tire-alarm system, and is designed for use in small towns and villages which are equipped with volunteer lire companies.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and reliable system of this character whereby an alarm may be sent in from different parts of the town or village and the exact location of the tire indicated at the engine-house, as well as a bell sounded to notify the inhabitants of the town or village of the tire, and a signal given at the house of each member of the company or elsewhere simul' taneously with the operation of the bell or general signal.

A further, object is to provide simple and effective governor mechanism to control the speed of the striking mechanism.

\Yith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the complete system. Fig. 2 is a detailed View of the mechanism for releasing the bell-striking mechanism. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the means for releasing the generator. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line L L of Fig. 1, showing the governor; and Fig. 5 isa section through the governor, taken on the line of the shaft 16.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the wires of an open circuit in which areinstalled a push-button 2 and adrop-annunciator 3, released by the pivoted armature a. For convenience of reference Iwill call this the annuneiator-circuit.

Serial No, 168,473. We model.)

5 denotes the wires of an open circuit in which is installed an electromagnet 6. This circuit 1 shall term the main alarm-circuit. One of the wires 5 is connected to an armature contact-point 7 within the path of movement of the annunciator-drop 3, and the other is connected to the annunciator-drop, so that when the annunciator-circuit is closed the armature of the annunciator is attracted by its magnet and the annunciator drops, thus closing the alarm-circuit. The armature of the electromagnet 6 is shown at The alarm mechanism comprises a bell 9 and pivoted hammer 10 and a striker-wheel 11, the latter being fixed to a shaft 12, which is the power-shaft, the power being transmitted to said shaft by means of a spring or, as shown in the drawings, a weighted rope wound to the said shaft. This shaft is in gear through a toothed wheel 14 and pinion 15 with a shaft 16, which carries a lug 17, into the path of movement of which projects one end of a pivoted gravity tilting-detent or trip-lever 1S. \Yhen this lever is engaged with the lug, it holds the shaft against rotation and prevents movement of the bell-hammer. \\"'hen the lever is tilted, however, so as to throw its outer end out of the path of movement of the lug, the shaft 12 is permitted to rotate its striker-wheel in contact with the pallet 12' and sound the alarm, thus attracting to the engine-house the volunteer company, who upon observing the dropannunciator at once ascertain the location of the tire. As shown, the armature 8 of the magnet 6 is notched to form a lip 8 to engage and hold the opposite end of the lever 18 from downward movement except when said armature, which is pivoted at 8, is attracted by said magnet, so that when set the lever will be held in engagement with the lug and the shaft 12 held from rotation. \Vhen the magnet 6 is energized, however, and attracts the armature 8, the lip 8 will be withdrawn from engagement with lever 18 and the latter will tilt out of the path of the lug 17 and permit rotation of shaft 12.

It is desirable under many conditions to give an alarm at the houses of the volunteer firemen or elsewhere, and to this end 1 provide means for governing an auxiliary alarm-circuit conwork or other power and has as an element a. gear 24:, the teeth of which are normally en' gaged by a sliding detentstem 25, connected with the armature 21, said stem thus normally holding the generator out of action.

26 represents the wires of the auxiliary alarm-circuit leading from the generator and connecting a line'of bells or other signals (not shown) located in the houses of the firemen and at other desired points. The stem 25 slides in guides 27 and is normally held in engagement with gear 24 by a suitable spring 28. When the magnet 20 is energized and draws the armature 21 toward it, the stem is withdrawn from engagement with gear 24: and the magneto-generator is permitted to act and sound the bells, thus giving a signal at each firemans house and at other desired points throughout the town or village.

In order to control the action of the striking mechanism, I provide a governor consisting of a series of yielding spring-supported brakeshoes 29, mounted on shaft 16 and adapted to engage a stationary strap or braking-surface 30. The governor when expanded by theoutward movement of the shoes upon the rotation of shaft 16 bears on this strap and by frictional engagement controls the speed of the striking mechanism, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-alarm system, the combination with an annunciator-circuit, of an alarm-circuit automatically governed by the annunci ator-circuit and having an electromagnet installed therein and an alarm mechanism, a power-shaft for actuating the alarm mechanism, and means for holding the power-shaft against rotation and releasing it, said means comprising an intermediately-pivoted tilting lever, a projection upon the shaft to directly engage one end of the lever, and a tilting armature adaptcd to directly engage the other end of said lever to normally hold it from tilting, said armature being retracted by said electromagnet, substantially as described.

.2. In a fire-alarm system, the combination with an annunciator-circuit, of an alarm-circuit automatically governed by the annunciator-circuit and having an electromagnet installed therein and an alarm mechanism, a power-shaft for actuating the alarm mechanism and means for holding the power-shaft against rotation and releasing it, said means comprising an intermediately-pivoted tilting lever, a projection upon the shaft to directly engage one end of the lever, and a pivoted tilting armature having a lip to directly engage and support the other end of said lever to normally hold it from tilting, said armature being retracted by said electromagnet, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-alarm system, the combination with an annun'ciator-circuit, of an alarm-circuit automatically governed by the annunciator-circuit and having an electromagnet installed therein, and an alarm mechanism, a power-shaft for actuating the alarm mechanism, means for holding the power-shaft against rotation and releasing it, said means being governed by said electromagnet, and a governor controlling said power-shaft and comprisinga stationary braking-surface and a series of spring-supports and brake-shoes upon the power-shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN P. KETCHAM. 

